Leeds return to winning ways

Charlton 1 Leeds 6

With their backs pressed against the relegation wall, Leeds finally came out battling as Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka led by example in thrashing Charlton. And about time too.

The arrival of caretaker boss Peter Reid may not have had an overnight effect with his initial 3-1 defeat at Anfield.

However, faced with an strangely compliant Charlton defence and with five players favoured by Terry Venables cast aside, the real Leeds finally stood up to be counted at The Valley.

Viduka scored a hat-trick but could even had four goals if he had not lost an incredible row with Ian Harte over who would take the visitors’ first penalty in an incident-packed game.

However, with Harte scoring from the spot, while Kewell was also on target twice in an impressive all-round display, Leeds racked up their biggest victory of the season just when it mattered most.

Given that Bolton had temporarily overtaken them into 16th place with an early kick-off victory, it was welcome relief for the under-pressure club.

“Are you watching Venables?” wondered the Leeds fans. Then again, if he had been, he would not have recognised his former side.

The real key to their first away win of the year and the first victory in six games was a renewed spirit – exactly the trademark of sides managed by Reid, at least before his last few months at Sunderland.

This was a vintage Leeds display, the type produced by a club in the Champions League quarter-finals just two years ago, not the sorry excuses for performances that cost Venables his job.

Having seen just how bad it could get at Anfield, Reid acted decisively with those five changes as he dusted off the cobwebs from Venables’ reign.

The message could not have been clearer but, if it needed reinforcing, the no-nonsense figure of Domic Matteo returned from injury into central midfield.

And with just 12 minutes gone, Viduka set up Smith to selflessly cross the ball to the far post, where Kewell was lurking to round off the neat move.

It was merely a foretaste of what was to come.

With Charlton particularly ineffective, Scott Parker had to clear a deflected corner off his own line, while Dean Kiely denied Viduka and Kewell wasted the rebound.

Leeds were soon further ahead, but only after an argument between Viduka and Harte as to who should should take the spot-kick after Richard Rufus was penalised for hauling Smith to the ground.

Harte prevailed, clearly against Viduka’s wishes, but only half of his team-mates celebrated with him when he scored

Given Charlton’s weakness in defence, it hardly mattered. Smith soon won a header against Rufus far too easily and Viduka claimed his first goal with a quality finish from the edge of the area.

Charlton pulled a goal back in the last minute of the first half, when Parker went down under a challenge from Radebe and Euell converted the spot-kick.

But once Paul Robinson had produced a fantastic save to keep out Scott Parker’s powerful volley, Reid’s side quickly reasserted their authority.

There was a suspicion of handball against Smith but he was still allowed to advance on a rapidly retreating defence before slipping the ball sideways to Viduka.

The Australia finished with aplomb and had soon completed his hat-trick when Charlton defender Luke Young was harshly adjudged to have brought down Smith.

Referee Eddie Wolstenholme pointed to the spot and this time Harte realised it was not worth even arguing about as he allowed Viduka to beat Kiely.

Euell did have had an effort ruled out for a foul on Radebe, but Charlton knew the game was up by this stage despite the arrival of Tahar El-Khalej as a third centre-back.

Indeed, El-Khalej was at fault for Leeds’ sixth goal, losing possession just inside his own half and allowing Kewell to advance unchallenged before beating Kiely with ease.

Harte flashed a shot just past the post and Viduka hit the crossbar, while two penalty appeals by Charlton went unheard, but Leeds were safely home and dry.

“We want seven,” chanted their fans. In reality though, they could hardly believe it. Neither, one would imagine, could Venables.